1/26/18

COLLECTING NBA YOUNG SUPER STARS IS A SMART CHOICE


The future of collecting NBA trading cards looks bright with the myriad of young shining stars showcased in this year's NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Game.  You can find these future super-stars in 2017-18 NBA products and 2016-18 NBA products at Sports Cards Plus.

Roster highlights include:
• The World Team’s 10 players hail from nine different countries.
Embiid, who will make his NBA All-Star Game debut in his second season, leads all first- and second-year NBA players in scoring (23.8 ppg), rebounding (11.0 rpg) and blocked shots (1.88 bpg).  He is set to become the first 76ers player to start an All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2006.
Simmons, the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, is on pace to become the first rookie to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in a season since Magic Johnson in 1979-80. 
• Chicago’s Markkanen is the fastest to 100 career three-pointers in NBA history (41 games).
• Denver’s Murray was the MVP of last year’s Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars, finishing with game highs of 36 points, 11 assists and nine three-pointers to lift the World Team past the U.S. Team 150-141.  This season, Murray has increased his scoring average to 16.2 points from 9.9 as a rookie.
Kuzma, the 27th pick in the NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm and the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, leads the Lakers in scoring with 16.7 points per game.  The last rookie to lead the team in scoring in a season was the Minneapolis Lakers’ Elgin Baylor in 1958-59.
• Utah’s Mitchell is averaging a team-high and rookie-best 19.2 points.  The Jazz has never had a rookie lead the team in scoring for a season.
• Boston’s Brown (14.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Tatum (13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg), the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December, have started all season for the East-leading Celtics.
• Chicago’s Dunn ranks third in the NBA in steals (2.05 spg), leads all second-year players in assists (6.4 apg) and has raised his scoring average nearly 10 points from last season (3.8 ppg to 13.7).
Simmons (four), Ball (two) and Dallas’ Smith (one) have combined for seven triple-doubles, which is one more than produced by rookies in the previous five seasons combined.
• The World Team features five players who participated as campers in Basketball without Borders (BWB), the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program: Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Markkanen (BWB Europe 2014; BWB Global 2015), Murray (BWB Global 2015), Ntilikina (BWB Europe 2015; BWB Global 2016) and Saric (BWB Europe 2010).
Below are the rosters for the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars
Ken pulled the Buddy Heild Galactic RC and Kobe Autograph from his box of 2016-17 Revolution Basketball.
WORLD TEAM                                   

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F

U.S. TEAM

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
2 | Lonzo Ball (Lakers) | G
13 | Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks) | G
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F